Mail-catcher.



P. H. OVERPEGK.

MAIL GATGHEE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1914.

Patented Oct, 20, 1914.

M mwm THE NORRIS PETERS CO., FHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D. C.

PERLEY OVELRPECK, 0F ROCKVILILEUINDIANAQ MAI -Carolina. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Oct.'20,191,4.

Application filed March 17, 1914. Serial No .825,3 10.

To all whom it mag concern;

Be it known that I, PERLEY Hf OVERPEOK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockville, in the county ofParke and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mail-Catchers, of

which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to a mail catcher,

' and the principal object of the invention is to provide a mail catcherin which there 'is' provided pivotally mounted jaws held in an openpositionby means of springs which also open to move the jaws to a closedposition when the jaws are struck bythe mail bag striking a slidingplate carried base plate of the mail catcher.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forslidably mounting the spring-carrying rods and toso mount the jaws andspring-carrying rods that the springs will hold the jaws in anopenposition without the employment ofany auxiliary holding means.

Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a mail catcher which willbevery simple in construction, and which can be very cheaply made.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinaFigure 1 is a top plan view of the improved mail catcher in a setposition; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the jaws moved to holda mail sack; Fig. 3 is a transversesed tional view taken along the line3 3 of Fig. Y 2; Fig.4 is a fragmentary sectlonal view' taken along theline 4-4 of Fig. 1. j

The jaws'lO are pivotally connected with the base plate 11 by means ofpivot bolts 12 which extend through the bearings 13 formed adjacent theinner ends of the jaws. These jaws are pivotally mounted upon oppositesides of the abutment plate or trigger 14 which is slidably" connectedwith the base plate by means of-bolts or pins 15....

which extend through slots 16 formed in the plate 14. Angle irons 17 aresecuredto the base plate adjacent the forward corners of the same andform abutments to limit the pivotal movement of the jaws .when closing,as shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the jaws can not closebeyond a desired amount, and that, therefore, there will be no danger ofarticles placed in the mail bag being crushed or broken.

Fingers 18 are pivotally connected with by the free end portionsprovided with longitudi+ nally-extendmg slots19 so that the fingers theinner ends of the jawsl10 and have their 18 may be. slidablymounted uponthe pin 201. This pin QillS providedxwith an en-- larged head 21 andwithabutment shoulders 22 and 23. The abutment shoulder22.

is positioned between thefingers18 and theabutment shoulder 23fengagesthe base plate 11 sothat when the nut 24 is tightened, the pin 21willbesecurely heldin place. These fingers 18 carry spindle springs 25 whichare placed, upon the fingers -between the pin 20 and' collars 26 andserve to hold thejaws in either the position shown in Fig. 1' or thatshown in Fig. 2.

'When'setting the mailcatcher, the-jaws 10.ar'e moved outwardly toftheposition shown in Fig. 1 and this operation will and-this will causethe' plate to move'the inner'ends of thejaws outwardly beyond a deadcenter so that the springs can expand andjswing the jaws tothepositionshown in Fig. 2and-cause them to be held tightly about the man sackwhich is indicatedby dottedlines in Fig. 2. Angle ir0ns17 pre vent thejawsjfrombeingmoved in this di-.

reotion beyond a desired. amount thus preventing the mail bag from beingclamped too tightly andalso preventing the fingers 18 frommoving out ofengagement with the pin 20. 1 I

I have therefore provided amail catcher which is very simple inconstruction and" which :will be cheap to manufacture and easytoset up.=fIt shouldrbe noted. that if desired a cover plate similar to the baseplate may be provided and secured by'any suitable means. If desired, thepivot bolts .12 can be used for securing the cover plate.

It should also be .notedthat the outer face of the trigger'plate curvedand that the outer edge of the base plate is also curved so that thebase plate and trigger plate will conform to thecontourfofa mail bag.This construction will assist in preventing the I 1 in. a,closedsposition, .a, trigger plate slidablyconnected with, ,saidtbjase,plate-between; said; jaws for engaging the, inner end p ortions; of:said; j aws,; and-,1. abutments. jca-rried'byg said; seiig at fen; iminga evpiv t l.movement,

id:- jaw in? ne in e io-ncand pr ve i ja r nt c osingrvbeyondaa sir mount 2- Av mail catollera npr s ns a base pl e,

jaws p ed itht ear ngs a j cent: their ZE IlB E' ends, pivot pins ar ed;y id; a eplate and passing through;said-{bearingstd pi ly: mount; said;jaws; a guide-pineal"- ried; by said-- base P151116, fingers pivotallyconnected Withg= h3e inner ends s of said j aws; v

3 flu; and provide d with slots throughwhich -saidguide, pinpasses,abutments carriedz bysaid; fingers adjacent said jaws, spirals springs,mountedmpong-said finge sgbet een-l said pin and said .abutments,,meansg for. limitingthe i 3 agpivotalmovementlo'fi saidg jaws; in, onedirec-.

tion, atriggsncar-ried by; said -.pla,t e be.-, tween said jawsfonengagingx the inner end portions of said, j aws when, rmovedrinwardlyandswing said-jaws past aideadcenter to closed,- position.

3. ,A mall catcher comprising ea base, jaws iqspermitgsaiid springstormove. said; j aws to. a;

inotalily connectedtwith saidbase, a guide.

cagcried, bysaid-.- base, ,fingers piyotally con ;gnected'zwithsagidjawsand slidably'.connectedv w th sai ai esi i m ns o nted upon; Said:ngersrand engaging; said. guide a fo mwr silient ea io e ea ab y=hnld=inggsaid jaws in, an open l-ipositionand font H so-vmovingsaid:jawstore; Closed, position, and; a

triggercarried by said base betweenisaidjaws to-r engagmgg the inner:ends .of the same. 'when,.mo.v,ed inwardly. to: swing sa d,

jawsrtoward a closed position and permit said springs to close saidjaws.

4:. A mail catcher comprising a support, jaws pivotallyconnected withsaid support,

a. trigger plate slidably connected with said support between said jawsand engaged by saidjaws when the same are moved to a set position, aguide carried by said base, fingers pivotally connectedwith the innerend portions of said jaws and slidably connected with said guide, andresilient means mountedaupon, said fingersbetween said guide and thepivotzends of said fingers.

5. A mail catcher comprisinga base, gripping means movably connectedwith said base, ,a,triggercarried by said base and operated by, a sackto move said gripplng means from aset position, and common means/forreleasably holding said gripping means in aset position and. moving saidgripping means to a closed position after being-partially moved from aset position bysaid trigger.

6. Aanail, catcher comprising a support, gripping: means pivotallyvconnected with said support, atrigger carried by said sup.- portvfor,movingsaid grippingmeans from a=set =position, a guide carried by saidsupportand provided With-abutment collars,

fingers extending. from said gripping means gripping; means to. anoperative position, and means, carrl'edaby sa1d base for moving said,gripping, means toward an operative position to permit saidresilientmeans to move. saiol -gripping means, to all-operativeposition.

Inatestimony whereof- -I lafiix my signature in. presence. of two.witnesses.

I PERLEY H; OVERPEOK,

Witnesses CHAnnns: W Ovnnrnolr, IIENRY DANIELS.

" (lbpi es off thismpatentimambe obtained fORafiMG cents each,by-iarldressingrthea Commissionerotintents,

l ilslnington,1190p." c

